Pension Scam Repeal Bill

Representative Cross stepped up to the plate to file a pension reform bill.   I do commend him for it.  One does have to ask how leadership did not know about the problem previously.  This is the type of thing that should be brought to light while Democrats are raising taxes saying there is no room for cuts.

Now that the bill has been filed, let's see if he can apply public pressure to Madigan to call it.  Let's also see how the Republican caucus subsequently votes.

Read the full story here.

Tom Cross, M.I.A. Again!

Around the country, Conservatives are pushing back on the Liberal agenda -- and winning!  This isn't just happening in Wisconsin.  It is happening in Ohio, Indiana and even places like Massachusettes.  Think about that.  The Democratically controlled Massachusette's House voted to curb public sector union rights 111-42.

Back to Illinois.  Are Republicans rallying flag for the taxpayers attempting to limit public sector union rights? No. Are they laying out a detailed solution to the public sector pension problem?  No.  Are they offering a long term budget solution with significant cuts?  No.

Right now, even something as simple as eliminating the corrupt, abusive, Legislative Scholarship Program does not garner all Republican support.  For those of you who do not know what the Legislative Scholarship Program is, here is a review:

Each legislator has the authority to grant two tuition waivers to an in-state instituion.  The University has to absorb the cost.  Senator AJ Wilhelmi gave a tuition waiver to the nephew of the Larry Walsh, the Senator that proceeded him.  BTW, AJ was appointed to the seat.  He also gave waivers to the children of three other politically tied individuals.  It's not just AJ, several stories have been written about politicians abusing this program.  It costs the universities millions of dollars, and increases tuition for paying students.  Eliminating this program should be easy.

State Senate Minority Leader Christine Rodagno has long advocated eliminating this program.  Kudos to her.  She speaks about it here.  Senator McCann introduced legislation here.  Democrat Jack Franks has introduced legislation.  The questions is, "Where's Tom Cross?"  This should be a "slam dunk".  If the Republican Minority leader cannot even stand against this corrupt program, do we really think he is capable of fighting for something significant?  He should call on his entire caucus to support an elimination of the program.  If he can't even manage that, he should be removed to leadership.

Who Am I?

I voted to raise your sales tax on beer, wine, pop, coffee, tea, shampoo, and convenient store products.
I voted to raise your driver's license fees.
I voted to increase the real estate transfer tax.
I voted to put gambling in every municipality in the state!
I have received over $75,000 in the last 18 months from the gaming industry.
I voted for and SPONSORED the $31B Illinois Stimulus Bill -- Four times the size of the other 49 states COMBINED!
I co-sponsored the FY2012 Madigan State Budget which increases spending by $1B.
I voted to raise several business taxes.
I voted for the "Amazon" internet sales tax which puts 9000 Illinois jobs at risk.
I voted to restrict your right to Freedom of Information requests.
When 12 members of my caucus voted against school choice/opportunity scholarships, I did nothing.
I voted against requiring a minor to notify parents before an abortion.
I voted for Blagojevich budgets.
I voted against abortion clinics having the same standards as other medical facilities.
I voted for medical marijuana.

Who is the Liberal lawmaker?

...Republican House Minority Leader Tom Cross

The Illinois Stimulus Bill Sponsored by Tom Cross

Republicans, and most independents, blast President Obama's Stimulus Bill.  They say it wasted money, didn't jump start the economy, and basically didn't work.  Illinois passed a state version of the bill.  Yet, few have recognized its failure.  Why?  It is likely because many Republicans voted for it.  Below is a comparison of the Federal and State versions:

Obama's Stimulus Bill

$787 Billion or approximately $2500 / citizen

Borrowed against future generations likely causing future tax increases

Goals: Repair Infrastructure, create jobs, jump start the economy

Cross' Stimulus Bill

$31 Billion or approximately $2400 / citizen

Borrowed against future generations by selling bonds tied to tax increases

Goals: Repair Infrastructure, create jobs, jump start the economy

Many projects, like high speed rail, are paid with matching funds coming from the Federal and State versions of the bill!  Can one disagree with the Federal program and agree with the State version?

Tom Cross' Stimulus Bill, known as the Capital Bill, has a long list of flaws.  I will give you some highlights:

At a Chamber breakfast, Senator AJ Wilhelmi bragged that Illinois' Stimulus Bill was more thanfour times larger than the amount set aside for capital projects of the other 49 states COMBINED!  Even after adjusting for inflation, this bill was twice as large as the last bill passed under George Ryan in the 1990's.  George Ryan was no fiscal conservative.  But what makes this bill even worse, is that while it raised taxes, none of these new taxes were used to pay the billions of unpaid bills.  Because it did not address this issue, it gave the Democrats a reason to pass the 67% tax increase.

Here are some of the things for which your grandchildren will be paying:

$500,000,000 for "urban weatherization"

$50,000 to a private gated golf course community

$1,000,000 to a privately owned convenient store

Tens of Millions for infrastructure at Religious facilities

To see more detail on the wasteful spending, here is a link to the Illinois Policy Institute's Capital Bill Piglet Book:

Piglet Book

Representative Cross informed the Village of Plainfield board about the $6M-$7M in projects he brought to the area because of the bill.  Of course, few did the math to realize his districts share should be almost one half a BILLION $'s!  There are some good projects in the bill.  Where did the other money go?

Pork in the Illinois Stimulus Bill (Known as Capital Bill)

This is an article I wrote for ForTheGoodofIllinois.Com:

Springfield's Dirty Little Secret

As a small businessman, I have grown increasingly frustrated with the state of Illinois politics.

While much of the nation was swooning over then Senator Barack Obama, I decided I needed to stop complaining and start fighting the waste and corruption I knew prevailed in Illinois. At my first Lincoln Day dinner, I heard Adam Andrzejewski speak for the first time. After a little research and a few conversations, I realized he was the man Illinois needed to be the next governor. I worked hard to try to get him elected. We know how that story ended.

But, I learned much. The most disappointing thing I learned was the more in tune with the Illinois political scene I became, the more perverse I realized our state is. Every time more of the inside game was revealed, I witnessed an even more rot than I expected.

After the 2010 primary, I was fortunate enough to run into Cedra Crenshaw. Our chance encounter led to her recruitment to run against incumbent Senator AJ Wilhelmi. Despite only a business background and no other political experience, I was tapped to be her campaign manager. This position gave me a window into Illinois politics that most people never get. Not only was I forced to learn vast and detailed information about the state’s finances, I was also able to witness how a veteran Senator rebutted our positions.

More inside game was revealed, and more rot was exposed.

There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of dirty little secrets in Springfield. But the one of which I know the most, is the Capital Bill. Did everyone already forget that we raised taxes and fees in ’09? It wasn’t income tax. It was sales taxes, license plate fees, and the fool’s gold of video poker. This is funding the Capital Bill. Did you know the Capital Bill is $31 Billion? Did you know that none of the money went to pay our overdue bills? Nope. The money went to new “projects”.

The Capital Bill is basically Illinois’ version of the Stimulus bill. Both bills spent about $2600 per capita. Both were supposed to create jobs. The types of “job creation” programs in both bills are similar. In fact, some of the funds in the Capital Bill merely match stimulus money. The biggest difference between Illinois Capital Bill and the Stimulus Bill was that the Capital Bill regrettably enjoyed much Republican support.

While attending a function at which Senator AJ Wilhelmi spoke, he actually bragged the following fact. In the last few years, states across the US have passed $38 Billion in Capital expenditures. Of that, Illinois has $31 Billion. Digest that please. The fiscally worst state in the nation is spending four times more than the rest of the 49 states combined! This was reconfirmed by him at a later forum — proudly.

The Illinois budget deficit is $15 billion. Last time I checked, $31 Billion is greater than $15 Billion. Did anyone think of cutting some waste from the Capital Bill to bridge the budget crisis? No. I don’t have the time or resources to FOIA details of the thousands of expenditures in the Capital Bill. But here are some of the secrets I do know…

United Neighborhood Organization is getting $98 Million. Sounds like a nice organization. I decided to google them. Their home page is http://www.uno-online.org/. It states that it is “Modeled after the Saul Alinsky style of community organizing.” If you don’t know who Saul Alinsky is, google “Saul Alinsky Marxist”. The CEO of UNO is a gentleman by the name of Juan Rangel. He also happens to be one of Rahm Emanuel’s campaign co-chairman.

The Urban Weatherization Act gets $500 Million. Their home page is http://www.commerce.state.il.us/dceo/Bureaus/Community_Development/Urban+Assistance/Urban+Weatherization+Initiative.htm.
Chicago State University is getting $40 Million that it didn’t know about, or even ask for. CSU was recently plagued with accounting scandals and has a 16% graduation rate. A private golf course community is getting $50,000. In my district, we are getting a $1 Million walking bridge. The church in which my children were baptized is receiving $250,000 for a new roof. In fact, several religious institutions are receiving state money for infrastructure improvements. I find it ironic that so many religious institutions would be taking money coming from gambling addicts.

These types of projects are rife in the Capital Bill. While schools and doctors are owed money, would even the most liberal liberal believe this is the best use of our resources? We did not have to raise income taxes.

But, no one wanted to bring up the “Dirty Little Secret”.

The Bad Economics of Video Poker

Here is an old article I wrote for Champion News in 2009.  It explains why gambling is a net negative income generator for the economy:

Apparently many of our elected officials in the General Assembly have never taken a business class beyond “Third Grade Liberal Economics.” Being an Illinois certified high school business teacher, allow me to explain in the same way I would to a high school student, the implications of our newest and greatest revenue stream for the state.

I’m talking of course about the legalization of video gambling for bars and taverns, as approved by the passage of HB255. The Senate passed the bill on May 20th and the House followed two days later.

I don’t gamble. So this tax is not going to affect me, right? It’s a good thing. Let someone else pay the tax, right? WRONG. Let me say this again – WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

Even if you never gamble, you will be paying a tax. How is this possible? Simple, let’s just follow the money.

Let’s say Joe is a contractor for ABC Builders. After a long week of work, Joe decides to go to the local pub for a few beers. Joe sees the shiny new exciting video poker machine and decides to try his luck. He puts in a $20 bill. It lasts a while, but he ultimately loses it. Then he tries again. Same luck. He decides $40 is enough money lost for one night. But it’s okay. He had fun. No big deal, right?

Wrong! Politicians are very short-sighted. They only see the tax dollars on the $40. But while they understand the action, they do not understand the reaction. Does anyone wonder what would have happened to the $40, if Joe did not spend it in the poker machine? Well, Joe was going to go to Aaron’s pizza place and buy a pizza for dinner. But now he doesn’t have the money. He was also going to give $20 to his son to go to the movie and have ice cream at Robin’s ice cream shop, but now he doesn’t have the money to give to his son. So, instead, Joe and his son stay home and watch T.V.

Aaron, the pizza guy, and Robin, the ice cream shop owner, had deposits on new locations for their businesses. But, they decide to walk away from the deals. They can’t figure out exactly why, but they know business is soft. So they both decide to put a hold on their expansion plans.

Now that new strip mall that was going to be built is also on hold. Mark, the realtor, loses a substantial commission. Times have been tough in real estate. Mark may have to go on unemployment. Our contractor friend Joe may also go on unemployment because the builder for the new strip mall was going to be ABC Builders.

Incredibly, our state lawmakers are wondering why unemployment is growing and income tax revenue is down.

In order to have “new” revenue, you need “new” money. Video gambling does not create any “new” money. We are not Vegas. People are not going to fly from around the world to drop thousands of dollars in our video poker machines. Instead, it’s going to come from your neighbors. It doesn’t matter if it is a gambling tax, cigarette tax, or any tax. We have seen in the current real estate economy that what hurts your neighbors – hurts you.

Sounds silly? Well it is not. Imagine not just one Joe, but ten, or a thousand, or ten thousand. Here’s what the politicians cannot deny – huge amounts of money are being milked from the local economy for transfer to Springfield – as well as to the typically out-of-state headquarters of the gambling companies. When you do that, you are bleeding the local economy.

In the Daily Herald on May 21, 2009, JoAnn Osmond, an Antioch Republican State Representative, was quoted this way regarding her vote in favor of HB255: “I think the most important thing in this vote is that we are creating jobs and jobs are so needed right now.”

Meanwhile, Elgin Democratic State Representative Keith Farnham stated, “It is just not the right time to put this kind of tax burden on the people.” Farnham voted against HB255.

So let’s be sure we have this straight. The Republican thinks milking local economies for money and sending it to Springfield creates jobs – while the Democrat thinks a tough economy is a bad time to raise taxes?

And we wonder why the Republican Party is in such disarray in this state.

Oh, but the roads, the buildings and the children! Of course this is the biggest sham of all. But politicians just love to tug on your heart strings don’t they?

This money is less for the children and more for some of the big, fat pensions of the lawmakers who write the bills.

When the money goes to Springfield it goes into one pot. It is then distributed out of that one pot. Wasn’t the lottery supposed to be all about the children? Isn’t the gas tax supposed to pay for roads? Don’t fall for it folks. This is just another way to put off dealing with our state’s real problems.

When the capital bill is completed in a couple of years, do you think the politicians are going to remove the machines from the bars? Will they lower the new added sales tax? Or, will they simply find a new place to spend the money? Take a guess which option they’ll choose.

And note that I have not even mentioned any of the socio-economic problems associated with gambling.

That Daily Herald article was my first introduction to JoAnn Osmond, and based on just that article one really has to wonder about her qualifications to be a Republican. I would have the same reservations about any “Republican” who voted to pass that video gambling bill last month.

The Unfortunate Record of Representative Tom Cross

Like most Republicans, I spent years always assuming that my leaders were fighting for fiscal responsibility and limited government, while fighting against corruption and waste. Like others, I was busy with my life of raising a family, working to put food on the table, and enjoying what little free time I had.  All of us weren't focused on every nuance of the many governmental bodies in Illinois.  But, recent events have caused many of us to re-examine our beliefs, and our leaders who we assumed were fighting for those beliefs.  This has been a sobering event for me.  Not only have many of our leaders failed us, but some have consistently voted AGAINST the Republican platform.  This website is dedicated to exposing the truth about the most influential state Republican for the last decade -- House Minority Leader Tom Cross.

If you only read only one page of this website, please read about the "Illinois Stimulus Bill" that Representative Cross not only voted for, but SPONSORED!